personal memoirs-2-第24章

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and　deeming　that　it　was　to　the　best　interest　of　the　service　as　well

as　but　just　to　myself；　I　relieved　him；　ordering　him　to　report　to

General　Grant。



I　then　put　Griffin　in　command　of　the　Fifth　Corps；　and　directed　him　to

withdraw　from　the　pursuit　as　quickly　as　he　could　after　following　the

enemy　a　short　distance；　and　form　in　line　of　battle　near　Gravelly　Run

Church；　at　right　angles　with　the　White　Oak　road；　with　Ayres　and

Crawford　facing　toward　the　enemy　at　the　junction　of　the　White　Oak　and

Claiborne　roads；　leaving　Bartlett；　now　commanding　Griffin's　division；

near　the　Ford　road。　　Mackenzie　also　was　left　on　the　Ford　road　at　the

crossing　of　Hatcher's　Run；　Merritt　going　into　camp　on　the　Widow

Gillian's　plantation。　　As　I　had　been　obliged　to　keep　Crook's　division

along　Stony　Creek　throughout　the　day；　it　had　taken　no　active　part　in

the　battle。



Years　after　the　war；　in　1879；　a　Court　of　Inquiry　was　given　General

Warren　in　relation　to　his　conduct　on　the　day　of　the　battle。　　He

assumed　that　the　delay　in　not　granting　his　request　for　an　inquiry；

which　was　first　made　at　the　close　of　the　war；　was　due　to　opposition

on　my　part。　　In　this　he　was　in　error；　I　never　opposed　the　ordering　of

the　Court；　but　when　it　was　finally　decided　to　convene　it　I　naturally

asked　to　be　represented　by　counsel；　for　the　authorization　of　the

Inquiry　was　so　peculiarly　phrased　that　it　made　me　practically　a

respondent。





〃NEW　YORK　CITY；　May　3；　1880



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　W。　S。　HANCOCK；　U。　S。　A。

〃President　Court　of　Inquiry；　Governor's　Island。



〃Sir：　Since　my　arrival　in　this　city；　under　a　subpoena　to　appear　and

testify　before　the　Court　of　which　you　are　president；　I　have　been

indirectly　and　unofficially　informed　that　the　Court　some　time　ago

forwarded　an　invitation　to　me　（which　has　not　been　received）　to　appear

personally　or　by　counsel；　in　order　to　aid　it　in　obtaining　a　knowledge

as　to　the　facts　concerning　the　movements　terminating　in　the　battle　of

'Five　Forks；'　with　reference　to　the　direct　subjects　of　its　inquiry。

Any　invitation　of　this　character　I　should　always　and　do　consider　it

incumbent　on　me　to　accede　to；　and　do　everything　in　my　power　in

furtherance　of　the　specific　purposes　for　which　courts　of　inquiry　are

by　law　instituted。



〃The　order　convening　the　Court　（a　copy　of　which　was　not　received　by

me　at　my　division　headquarters　until　two　days　after　the　time

appointed　for　the　Court　to　assemble）　contemplates　an　inquiry　based　on

the　application　of　Lieutenant　Colonel　G。　K。　Warren；　Corps　of

Engineers；　as　to　his　conduct　while　major…general　commanding　the　Fifth

Army　Corps；　under　my　command；　in　reference　to　accusations　or

imputations　assumed　in　the　order　to　have　been　made　against　him；　and　I

understand　through　the　daily　press　that　my　official　report　of　the

battle　of　Five　Forks　has　been　submitted　by　him　as　a　basis　of　inquiry。



〃If　it　is　proposed　to　inquire；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　as　to

any　action　of　mine　so　far　as　the　commanding　general　Fifth　Army　Corps

was　concerned；　or　my　motives　for　such　action；　I　desire　to　be

specifically　informed　wherein　such　action　or　transaction　is　alleged

to　contain　an　accusation　or　imputation　to　become　a　subject　of

inquiry；　so　that；　knowing　what　issues　are　raised；　I　may　intelligently

aid　the　Court　in　arriving　at　the　facts。



〃It　is　a　long　time　since　the　battle　of　Five　Forks　was　fought；　and

during　the　time　that　has　elapsed　the　official　reports　of　that　battle

have　been　received　and　acknowledged　by　the　Government；　but　now；　when

the　memory　of　events　has　in　many　instances　grown　dim；　and　three　of

the　principal　actors　on　that　field　are　deadGenerals　Griffin；

Custer；　and　Devin；　whose　testimony　would　have　been　valuablean

investigation　is　ordered　which　might　perhaps　do　injustice　unless　the

facts　pertinent　to　the　issues　are　fully　developed。



〃My　duties　are　such　that　it　will　not　be　convenient　for　me　to　be

present　continuously　during　the　sessions　of　the　Court。　　In　order；

however；　that　everything　may　be　laid　before　it　in　my　power　pertinent

to　such　specific　issues　as　aie　legally　raised；　I　beg　leave　to

introduce　Major　Asa　Bird　Gardner　as　my　counsel。



〃Very　respectfully；



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；　Lieut。…General。〃





Briefly　stated；　in　my　report　of　the　battle　of　Five　Forks　there　were

four　imputations　concerning　General　Warren。　　The　first　implied　that

Warren　failed　to　reach　me　on　the　1st　of　April；　when　I　had　reason　to

expect　him；　the　second；　that　the　tactical　handling　of　his　corps　was

unskillful；　the　third；　that　he　did　not　exert　himself　to　get　his　corps

up　to　Gravelly　Run　Church；　and　the　fourth；　that　when　portions　of　his

line　gave　way　he　did　not　exert　himself　to　restore　confidence　to　his

troops。　　The　Court　found　against　him　on　the　first　and　second　counts；

and　for　him　on　the　third　and　fourth。　　This　finding　was　unsatisfactory

to　General　Warren；　for　he　hoped　to　obtain　such　an　unequivocal

recognition　of　his　services　as　to　cast　discredit　on　my　motives　for

relieving　him。　　These　were　prompted　by　the　conditions　aloneby　the

conduct　of　General　Warren　as　described；　and　my　consequent　lack　of

confidence　in　him。



It　will　be　remembered　that　in　my　conversation　with　General　Grant　on

the　30th；　relative　to　the　suspension　of　operations　because　of　the

mud；　I　asked　him　to　let　me　have　the　Sixth　Corps　to　help　me　in

breaking　in　on　the　enemy's　right；　but　that　it　could　not　be　sent　me；

it　will　be　recalled　also　that　the　Fifth　Corps　was　afterward　tendered

and　declined。　　From　these　facts　it　has　been　alleged　that　I　was

prejudiced　against　General　Warren；　but　this　is　not　true。　　As　we　had

never　been　thrown　much　together　I　knew　but　little　of　him。　　I　had　no

personal　objection　to　him；　and　certainly　could　have　none　to　his

corps。　　I　was　expected　to　do　an　extremely　dangerous　piece　of　work；

and　knowing　the　Sixth　Corps　wellmy　cavalry　having　campaigned　with

it　so　successfully　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　I　naturally　preferred

it；　and　declined　the　Fifth　for　no　other　reason。　　But　the　Sixth　could

not　be　given；　and　the　turn　of　events　finally　brought　me　the　Fifth

after　my　cavalry；　under　the　most　trying　difficulties；　had　drawn　the

enemy　from　his　works；　and　into　such　a　position　as　to　permit　the

realization　of　General　Grant's　hope　to　break　up　with　my　force　Lee's

right　flank。　　Pickett's　isolation　offered　an　opportunity　which　we

could　not　afford　to　neglect；　and　the　destruction　of　his　command　would

fill　the　measure　of　General　Grant's　expectations　as　well　as　meet　my

own　desires。　　The　occasion　was　not　an　ordinary　one；　and　as　I　thought

that　Warren　had　not　risen　to　its　demand　in　the　battle；　I　deemed　it

injudicious　and　unsafe　under　the　critical　conditions　existing　to

retain　him　longer。　　That　I　was　justified　in　this　is　plain　to　all　who

are　disposed　to　be　fair…minded；　so　with　the　following　extract　from

General　Sherman's　review　of　the　proceedings　of　the　Warren　Court；　and

with　which　I　am　convinced　the　judgment　of　history　will　accord；　I

leave　the　subject：



〃。。。。It　would　be　an　unsafe　and　dangerous　rule　to　hold　the　commander

of　an　army　in　battle　to　a　technical　adherence　to　any　rule　of　conduct

for　managing　his　command。　　He　is　responsible　for　results；　and　holds

the　lives　and　reputations　of　every　officer　and　soldier　under　his

orders　as　subordinate　to　the　great　endvictory。　　The　most　important

events　are　usually　compressed　into　an　hour；　a　minute；　and　he　cannot

stop　to　analyze　his　reasons。　　He　must　act　on　the　impulse；　the

conviction；　of　the　instant；　and　should　be　sustained　in　his

conclusions；　if　not　manifestly　unjust。　　The　power　to　command　men；　and

give　vehement　impulse　to　their　joint　action；　is　something　which

cannot　be　defined　by　words；　but　it　is　plain　and　manifest　in　battles；

and　whoever　commands　an　army　in　chief　must　choose　his　subordinates　by

reason　of　qualities　which　can　alone　be　tested　in　actual　conflict。



〃No　one　has　questioned　the　patriotism；　integrity；　and　great

intelligence　of　General　Warren。　　These　are　attested　by　a　long　record

of　most　excellent